Ladies in Retirement
| Ladies in Retirement | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Charles Vidor |
| Produced by | Lester Cowan |
| Screenplay by |
Garrett Fort Reginald Denham |
| Based on | the play Ladies in Retirement by Reginald Denham Edward Percy |
| Starring |
Ida Lupino Louis Hayward |
| Music by |
Morris Stoloff |
| Cinematography | George Barnes |
| Edited by | Al Clark |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
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Release date
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Running time
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91 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Ladies in Retirement is an American 1941 film noir directed by Charles Vidor, and starring Ida Lupino and Louis Hayward. It is based on a 1940 Broadway play of the same title by Reginald Denham and Edward Percy which starred Flora Robson in the lead role.
Ellen Creed, a proud spinster fallen on hard times, has been housekeeper/companion to her old friend Miss Leonora Fiske, a wealthy retiree who in her youth had been a chorus girl "of easy virtue", for about two years. Lucy is a maid who has also been there for some time. Ellen gets a letter one day about her two sisters, both of whom are a bit peculiar. The letter says that unless she can get them under control, the police will be called and they will be evicted from their flat for outlandish behavior. Ellen asks Miss Fiske if her sisters can visit and she says yes.
One day when Ellen's away, a handsome young stranger called Albert Feather turns up, claiming to be Ellen's nephew. He is in need of money so Miss Fiske goes to her hiding place and lends him some. He makes her promise not to tell Ellen that he borrowed money or that he was even there. She agrees.
Ellen returns with her sisters, who wear out their welcome quickly. They are a burden to Miss Fiske and Lucy. Miss Fiske eventually complains to Ellen, pointing out that two days have turned into six weeks. They are wrecking her things and her nerves. Finally, Miss Fiske orders them out, ignoring the pleas of Ellen, who dreads them being sent to an institution. Ellen snaps. She strangles Miss Fiske to death.
Ellen tells visitors and Lucy that Miss Fiske is traveling. She tells her sisters she bought the house and makes them swear on a bible that they will never talk about Miss Fiske or that she sold the house to anyone. Both sisters swear.
The neighbor nuns come in a terrible storm to borrow something. Ellen sends Lucy to the shed to get it. She is surprised there by Albert. She had a flirtation with Albert the first time he was at the Fiske home. He flirts with her again and asks her to promise not to tell Ellen he has been there before, asks her not to say anything about him being there in the shed. He says he wants to come to the front door and enter there. Lucy giddily agrees.
Albert tells Ellen he needs help and a place to stay because he is a thief wanted by the law. Ellen wants none of it. To avoid undue attention to the living situation at the Fiske home, she buys him a boat ticket out of the country and says she will give him some money to get started in the new country.
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Wikipedia